Impending
by Stormeon
Summary: Truth and Ideals. Belief and Doubt. Black and White. None are wrong, but you must choose your path; or find shades of gray.
1. One

_**One.**_

The swirling mass of waves is something that enraptures everyone who decided to survey the river, and the apprentice was no exception. He peered in closer, as if trying to keep the image of the swirling river in mind to stay. He finally moved back, glancing over his shoulder to see if anyone had been watching him; nobody appeared to behind him, which satisfied the tom. After all that had just happened, the last thing the tom wanted to displease his mentor, who would not be particularly happy to see him goofing off again.

_I should really try and catch something, maybe that'll cheer Splashfur up, or get her mind off of things. _The brown-and-white tom thought, padding alongside the riverbank. He scanned the river closely, trying to find in movement beneath the cover of rushing water.

He had finally halted, crouching beside the bank. In that moment, he had seen it; a bright flash in the water. He lunged his paw forward, catching hold of the fish, flinging it outwards towards the bank.

"Nice catch, Volepaw!" came a sudden voice, causing the tom whip around. A white she-cat stood behind him, her face twisted in a mischievous smirk. "I must say, I'm quite surprised that you can fish; maybe you aren't a_ complete_ ditz."

Whilst the tom was caught off guard the fish began to flop around, suffocating. Volepaw immediately focused back on his catch, trying to pin the fish, only for the smooth creature to easily slip from between his paws, and flop its way back into the rushing river. "_No_!" the apprentice called out in distress, watching hopelessly as his prey escaped.

He turned, flashing a glare at the unperturbed white she-cat, who was casually examining the tom's situation. "If you hadn't spooked me, I would've caught that!" Volepaw grunted, his tail drooping in defeat.

"Sure," the she-cat snidely remarked, ignoring the tom's comments. "I came to tell you that Splashfur and Oaktail have already headed back to camp, and she wanted me to make sure you ended up heading back too."

"Why would she head back without me?" Volepaw asked, padding towards his denmate. "I thought she was going to come and inspect my hunting," the patched tom mewed. "Did something change?"

"I honestly dunno," the white cat admitted, her gaze level. "I think it may have something to do with Cloudstar and Thorntail," she mewed, a small frown appearing on her face. "Maybe Thorntail just received his nine lives."

Volepaw nodded, taking in the information presented to him, sighing. He was honestly tired about hearing of Cloudstar and his sudden, shocking death. It wasn't that he didn't care for his leader, he just didn't like to dwell on the tom's passing. He never liked the subject of death, and he hoped that he would never have to deal with death of a loved one, he didn't know if he would be strong enough to handle something like that.

He then began to think of his mentor, Splashfur, and the effect that this must be having on her. Cloudstar was her father, after all. _I guess it's understandable that I've been pushed to the side a bit._

"C'mon, Volepaw," the white she-cat mewed, snapping him out of his thoughts. "We don't want to keep them waiting, do we?" she asked, beginning to pad, beckoning the tom forward with her tail.

Volepaw rushed forward so that he could be beside her, and after a few moments he began to fall into pawstep with the she-cat. "I wonder who Thorntail will make deputy," he pondered, hoping to make conversation. "Who do you think would be a good deputy, Hailpaw?"

"Hm," Hailpaw murmured, raising her head up towards the sky. "Maybe Goldenheart," she suggested, looking over at the brown-and-white apprentice. "I guess the choice doesn't matter, as long as it's in the best interest for the Clan."

Volepaw nodded in agreement, slightly jealous of the fact that Hailpaw always knew the perfect thing to say. He was rather positive that she could talk her way out of anything, if she put her mind to it.

The two continued on their trek back to camp, passing through a dense array of forest that divided the camp from the river; the Clan's main source of prey. He glanced around, ears pricking every time he heard a small rustle or crackle in a tree. The forest also mesmerized the apprentice, albeit to a lesser extent than the river.

The occasional rock and dirt clods clanged against the tom's paws as he padded through the path, flinging them onto the brittle forest ground only a mouse-length away. Volepaw wasn't necessarily used to such a different environment, now that he thought about it. The only time he ever spent in the mysterious forest was when going to the river, or having a surprise training session.

A gentle breeze rustled through the willows that stood gallantly in the distance, eventually reaching the apprentices. The open air, so rare and fleeting in other places, smelled of fish and freshly picked roses. Or maybe that was just Volepaw's imagination. Either way, he knew that they were getting closer to their destination.

The sun seemed to be basking in its own rays, finally filtering through to the forest. It hovered over the horizon, and bright purple and apricot collided with the deep blue sky, though it was rather difficult to see from the trees. He looked over at Hailpaw, who returned his glance. "We're here," the white she-cat announced, leading the way into camp.

As Hailpaw predicted, Thorntail stood atop HighRock, a large and smooth boulder that was effectively positioned more-or-less towards the center of the camp, the golden brown tom appeared to have been talking—but halted as he noticed the two apprentices enter the camp.

"Hailpaw, Volepaw," the prickly tom greeted, looking over the two cats. "It's nice of you both to finally join us." Thorntail mewed, his expression stern. Hailpaw released a sheepish chuckle, and replied, "Sorry,"

Thorntail ignored the she-cat's apology, finally begining to face the Clan again, who were all huddle around to hear the words of the sturdy tom. "As you all know, our beloved leader, Cloudstar, died a few days ago," he paused to allow the Clan to murmur amongst themselves, with one cat occasionally releasing a mournful cry.

"But, as a Clan, we must continue to stay strong," the tom's voice rose over the chatter of the Clan, his gaze skimming over the crowd of cats with fearsome green eyes. "And I, _Thornstar_, new leader of SmokeClan, will do everything in my power to make sure the Clan continues to stay strong."

The crowd of cats began to cheer, crying out the new leader's name with glee. Volepaw noticed that Hailpaw and the other apprentices were also joining in, so Hailpaw released his own yowl of support, "Thornstar!"

The large, golden brown tom rose his paw to silence his supporters, flashing them a toothy grin. "Now, it is time for me to appoint a deputy," Thornstar rested his tail on his paws, his green eyes flashing.

"Leopardsong," he called out. "Will you please arise?"

Murmurs of shock rippled throughout the crowd, nobody had expected Thornstar to choose such a headstrong cat like Leopardsong, but Volepaw figured that the new leader new what he was doing. Like Hailpaw said, he would only choose he thought would be in the best interest of SmokeClan. Volepaw then tried to lift head, hoping to get a good view.

He saw the slender tortoiseshell shape of Leopardsong move from aside Goldenheart, her face expressionless. She carefully padded through the crowd, and carefully leapt up to join Thornstar, her blue eyes gleaming.

Thornstar exchanged a knowing glance with Leopardsong before reciting the ancient words, "I say these words before _StarClan_, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my decision. The new deputy of SmokeClan is _Leopardsong_."

As the Clan began to chant the newly-appointed deputy's name, Hailpaw leaned over to whisper in the patched apprentice's ear, "He's really putting on a show isn't he? Most leaders don't call up their deputies to join them when appointing them."

Volepaw gave a slight nod of agreement, it was rather odd now that he stopped to think about it. _Maybe he's just using this ceremony to try and keep the Clan united, maybe he's just trying to get everyone to stop thinking about Cloudstar._

As the Clan finally began to quiet down again, Leopardsong positioned herself next to Thornstar, who's muzzle was twisted into a smile. "I have only one last thing to say, before you can all go on with your days," the golden-brown tom announced, his tone growing more serious.

"_Our faith in StarClan is fragile, volatile. Don't you agree? We say that we can't live without it, that only good can come from it. Yet, it is also dangerous, anyone could easily lie to manipulate others into doing their bidding," _Thornstar started, sending the Clan a chilling look of dread.

Volepaw froze, looking over at Hailpaw, seeing her frozen in fear of her leader's words. "What?" some cat called out, others began crying out as well, unsure of what had just happened; what was going on.

"Silence," Leopardsong growled, her tail lashing in contempt of the disruption. "Let our leader finish speaking." she mewed, stepping back so that Thornstar could have full reign.

Volepaw watched in horror, wondering what the new leader was thinking. _Why would he talk about our faith in StarClan like that? Is he just pulling an elaborate prank?_

_"Haven't any of you ever thought about it? How none of us ever seem to grasp the complexity of these magical cats that are in our skies? I've come to the conclusion that they simply don't exist. These are just stories they have us fearing retribution for anything we may do, and frankly, I'm tired of it," _the golden leader spoke, his voice unwavering.

_"You can only hold on to hope for so long, before everything breaks and you're left with nothing." _the leader finished his tirade, his fur, spiked with anger. It was almost as if Thornstar had transformed into another cat after just a few moments, before everyone's own eyes.

"That is why, from this day, SmokeClan doesn't regard StarClan as our heroes or saviors," he growled, green eyes flaring. "You regard the strong as our gods, and that means_ me_. I don't have my nine lives from those make-believe cats, and I don't need them. I'm capable of leading this Clan without them."

"No!" a she-cat called out, moving forward to reveal herself to be none other than Splashfur. "What do you think you're doing? Do you honestly expect us to follow you?"

"No," the tom relented, matching her gaze. "But, I already have all of the support I need."

As if rehearsed, multiple warriors and apprentices began to step forward, surrounding the HighRock and facing towards the rest of the Clan, their expressions ranging from happy to guilty, all while facing the dwindling numbers of cats that were left.

"How could you all? You can't follow him!" Splashfur mewed, struggling to keep her calm. Goldenheart and Oaktail moved to be beside her, facing Thornstar and his followers.

"You see, it was easy to convince enough of them by showing them my strength, and as for the_ others_," he flicked his tail towards a scrawny gray tom, a guilty look plastered onto his face. "Webfur, our beloved medicine cat, also agrees with me," he told the lingering cats. "Right, Webfur?" Thornstar looked down upon the tom, who gave a small nod of his head. "All that Thornstar speaks of is true, StarClan is a _lie_."

With that, the small number of cats began to grow stronger, fearfully padding to join Thornstar's group. Volepaw fearfully took a pawstep forward, struggling to make a decision on where he stood. _Webfur is our medicine cat, he would never lie, would he? Thornstar's group could kill us right now if he wanted it, maybe I should— _

"Volepaw, _what are you doing_?" Hailpaw mewed, snapping him from his thoughts. "You really aren't going to join that freak, are you?" He turned to her, and the looked back towards Thornstar, conflicted.

"Let's just join him, most of the Clan already has," Volepaw pointed out, keeping his voice low. "Better to be safe than sorry." he added, hoping his pleas would win her over. Hailpaw sent him a horrified look, choosing to move past him and huddle along with the few other cats that refused to move.

Volepaw wanted to call out after her, but his brain had other plans, and the apprentice padded towards Thornstar, positioning himself in a group of apprentices that had decided to join. "Good choice," one leaned over to mew. "I can't believe Hailpaw is choosing to not come."

_Neither can I._

"No matter what, we will never join a cat like you," Goldenheart told Thornstar, his claws unsheathed. "We are Clan of truth, you can't let your own ideals destroy everything that we believe in!"

Thornstar's eyes narrowed, and he gave a slight shake of his head. "It's a shame none of you see it the way I do, you would all have made great soldiers to our Clan, to _my_ Clan. But, if you refuse to join, I am given no choice," the tom mewed.

"No choice?" Splashfur echoed, pressing a bit closer to the small number of cats that stood with her. "No choice about what?"

Thornstar skillfully leapt down from the HighRock, standing before his mass of followers. Volepaw gulped, afraid for what would happen to his mentor and friend, but there was nothing he could do now but watch as Thornstar began to speak, "You've given me no choice but to _punish_ you."


	2. Two

_**Two.**_

_A shadowed tom looked down upon his son, his gaze fueled with fire. "Weak," the older tom grunted, lashing his tail. "Get up and face me like a warrior." the shadowy figure spat, anger spilling from him. "Prove to me that you're better than this," he continued, his glare feeling like a rake across the young tom's pelt. "Show me that you can match up to your siblings and to your Clan."_

The golden leader's eyes opened, his fur on end. He instinctively looked around, desperately searching for something that clearly wasn't there. The thick-furred tom was growing more skittish, squirming from side to side, his ears getting hotter. Suddenly, without warning, the leader slashed at the air, continuously flinging his paw at an invisible enemy. "No," he began to mumble, shutting his eyes tightly. "No!" he let out again, this time fear edged in his mew.

The tom only ceased when he saw the figure by the entrance of the den, unmoving. "No, no, no," Thornstar began to chant, crouching low. "Go away," the tom spat, his eyes wild. "Go back now!"

When the large tom say the figure tentatively take a step forward, their face still hidden by shadows, the tom completely pressed against the wall of his den, releasing hisses of warning. "Go away! Don't come any closer!" the leader mewed, his voice starting to become shaky, matching his now quivering body. "Please, don't come closer, _please_."

_"I'm sorry," the apprentice whimpered, his head held down in shame. "I... I promise that I'll get better, really." the young tom mewed, afraid to meet his father's gaze. The shadowed figure before him leaned in close, his face twisted in contempt. "All you've managed to do is embarrass yourself in front of the Clan," the figure started, his voice growing angrier by the second._

_"You can't even pass a warrior assessment, all you've managed to do is fall into the river and get yourself hurt," the figure spat as his son, moving away. "I'm sure our beloved medicine cat, Shadyfern, is getting to know you well. After all, you do seem to visit her more than any other cat in the Clan."_

_"I'm sorry, I am," the apprentice pleaded, his voice beginning to crack. "I try harder than any other apprentice, I really do. I train longer than Lightpaw and Lionpaw combined! I do everything I can, I do!"_

_The father snorted, disregarding his son's statements. "Even so, you're still the worst hunter and fighter," the figure pointed out with disdain. "How do you think that makes me feel? I'm Smokestar, and you're my son, and you have to better." the leader growled, his gaze menacing. "Do I make myself clear, Thornpaw?" the serious tom asserted, his eyes burning into his son's pelt._

_"Yes, father."_

"Thornstar, are you okay?" the figure asked, their voice heavy with concern.

Thornstar was shocked to see the face of the figure, Leopardsong, who's face was filled with fear. "Thornstar, what's going on? What's happened to you?" she mewed, moving towards the leader, crouching next to him.

The sun-colored tom looked at her emotion filled expression, looking around the room in worry, before turning back to Leopardsong. "He's not here," he spluttered, continuously looking around, his body growing hotter.

"Who's not here, Thornstar?" the tortoiseshell deputy asked, looking over the leader. "Did something happen to you? When I came in you were thrashing at nothing and—"

"I'm fine," the leader cut her off, suddenly rising to his paws, his breathing becoming more level. "I... I was having a nightmare," the tom explained, offering her a cordial nod. "I'm fine, I was just having a little moment."

"A _nightmare_? With your eyes open?" Leopardsong asked, clearly unconvinced at the tom's alibi. "You don't have to lie to me, Thornstar," she mewed, her tone surprisingly gentle. "Is there something wrong?"

"No," the tom finally grunted, sending her a challenging look. "Don't question me any further." the leader added, not wanting to discuss the subject any longer. He gave his chest a few quick licks, before acknowledging his deputy with a calm demeanor, "Why have you come to see me, Leopardsong?"

The tortoiseshell she-cat straightened up, her fluffy tail neatly wrapping around her. "I came to inform you that the group of the cats that defied the Clan has been taken care of," she mewed. "We won't need to worry about them any longer."

"You locked them away in a cave, right?" Thornstar asked, still grooming his rattled pelt. "I don't want any of them dead," the tom mewed, giving his paws a few licks. "At least,_ not now_."

Leopardsong nodded, a purr rumbling in her throat. "Yes, Lightflower and Fawnstep managed to get them into a small cave we found towards the mountains, and managed to hold them back in there with a few other warriors," she explained. "While they were busy doing that, Flarefang and Cedarpelt helped me find a large boulder, and we barely managed to get it back to cover the entrance of the den, trapping them."

"Brilliant," Thornstar praised, glad to be having this conversation with his deputy, hopefully she would forget seeing him in that vulnerable moment. "They can try their best to hold out, but once they begin to starve I'm sure they'll begin to reconsider my offer."

"What if they don't?" Leopardsong asked, curiosity edged in her mew. Thornstar was quiet for a moment, before speaking with the utmost amount of confidence, "_We'll put them out their misery."_

_They crouched against the stony slope, pressing their bellies flat against the hard rocks, ignoring the uncomfortable pain. The huddled trio continued to look on, their faces somber in the setting sun._

_The tom glanced to his side, and saw Heatherpaw sending him a look of sympathy. The tom only grew more uncomfortable once he saw that the majority of the Clan was locked onto the tom and his littermates, watching as if they were the most interesting part of what was going on. The tom tried pressing closer to the slope, to no avail. He wished that he could just disappear, and not have to deal with the inevitable. _

"_I can't believe it," Pebblefur, his brother, whispered from beside him, his voice filled with grief. "He's gone." the trio watched from a distance, their father's body on display by the river, their golden-furred mother wailing over his body. "Everything will be okay," the third tom, Fishleap, mewed. "Shimmertail will be a great leader, and father will be happy in—" the tom suddenly stopped speaking, remembering their father's beliefs. _

_"Happy in somewhere out in the unknown," Thorntail finished for him, annoyance flickering in his gaze. "Father doesn't believe in StarClan," he reminded his two littermates, though they were fully aware, as were most of the cats that Smokestar was close to. "I wonder what would make him think like that," Pebblefur murmured, looking down at his paws. "Doesn't that mean he won't go to StarClan? That's such a crazy way of thinking!"_

_"Yeah," Thorntail agreed, "crazy."_

The leader exited his den, Leopardsong flanking him. The golden-brown tom looked around, and saw nothing of any particular importance. It seemed to be just another average day. The leader knew that he would soon need to start his array of changes, but he figured that could come later. He would allow the Clan at least one more day of their 'normal'.

The tom padded forward, leaping upon the HighRock, trying to keep steady. Once positioned, the tom began to overlook the Clan, pride swelling through the new leader.

Thornstar then rested his head on his paws, eyes closed, listening to the idle chatter of kits that were out playing. They were trying to engage Leopardsong, who seemed to be awkwardly trying to get out of her situation. The leader chuckled, slowly stating to focus on the other cats in the Clan. He noticed Heathercloud having an exchange with Lionstorm and Fishleap, both of whom looked perturbed. He also spotted Leopardsong's mother, Cinderfrost, sunning herself in some shade outside of the elders' den with Breezefang, whilst the other elders simply stayed put inside their den.

All seemed calm now, but the leader knew great hardship would lie ahead for the cats of the Clan, _if_ they defied his wishes. No one had spoken to him directly about his ceremony, but he could feel the slightest bit of tension in the air, as if cats were afraid to bring up the matter. He supposed it made sense, not wanting to disturb their leader, though he knew that probably wasn't the case. He would be lying he said that he didn't enjoy having the Clan fear him; it only made the sun-colored tom stronger in his own opinion. No cat would try to stop him from reaching his goals now, no act of sudden heroism could win the Clan back over. Everything was going accordingly.

Thornstar also couldn't help but feel the slightest bit guilty, knowing all that had to do to get where he stood today; leader of SmokeClan. The large tom finally rose back to his paws carefully leaping down from the HighRock. He decided not to dwell on the matter, considering whatever was done was finished, and nothing could help it now. He would focus on creating his utopia, a perfect Clan without cats looking to the sky for answers, that was his main focus, and he planned on fully achieving it.

_The young tom came to a surprised halt, shocked to the see the shadowed figure before him. Had he been waiting for him? "Father?" Thornpaw asked with caution, not knowing what mood his father could be in._

_"Thornpaw," the older tom greeted, not glancing back at the apprentice._

_"What are you doing here, father?" Thornpaw asked, his green eyes wide with curiosity. The young apprentice would never expect his father to be here, at the edge of the forest. At this particular edge, the land broke off into a cliff, leading into the widest valley the apprentice could ever see. It also made a magnificent view, especially at night. The meek tom would often come to here to think and to be alone. He was shocked his father was here too._

_"I come here, sometimes, to calm down. To think about things." Smokestar answered, the large tom looked down at his son. "You too?"_

_Thornpaw nodded, moving to stand next to his father, who seemed to be looking out into the beyond, Thornpaw honestly couldn't tell. "This cliff gives a great view of Silverpelt, don't you think."_

_Smokestar snorted, shaking his head. "Please, I don't come here to try and admire dead cats that are flying around in the sky." the gruff tom answered, grumbling to himself. "Why would you think that?"_

_"Well, mom and all the other warriors like to look at Silverpelt. They say it's like seeing all of their old clanmates and stuff," Thornpaw tried to explain, though he felt like he was making himself more confused. "They do that because StarClan helps everyone." the apprentice finished lamely, hoping to please his father._

_Smokestar couldn't help but chuckle, looking over to his son. "All through my life, I've had to work hard for everything, and I've lost everything more times than I can remember," he started, a smirk appearing on his face. "I don't think StarClan is real, personally. Just some fancy old idea that leaders and medicine cats use to try and make everyone feel better, or try and reason things out, but nothing is ever really there." Smokestar admitted. For once, Thornpaw almost thought Smokestar actually looked sad._

_Thornpaw suddenly pressed against his father, as if he were just a kit in the nursery again. No matter how harsh he could be, Thornpaw would always treasure him most, even if he didn't act like it._

_The pair proceeded to look out into the dark night sky. The night was starless. _


	3. Three

_"You don't think that our leader is insane?"_

_"Of course not!"_

_"Are you an complete idiot?"_

_"No!"_

Shellstream growled in annoyance, sending a scathing glare at her friend. "Please, his latest announcement was horrible! Taking StarClan away from us was bad enough, but now the insane tom wants us to take over the entire mountain range and to be called _soldiers_ now? What's next?"

Heathercloud huffed, turning her head. "Please, it's not all that terrible," the pretty she-cat mewed, vanity drooling from her. "Besides, if you don't like what Thornstar is doing why didn't you stand up to him a few days ago? You could have joined Splashfur and the rest of her lot."

Shellstream rolled her eyes. "Splashfur and the others are locked away somewhere in the forest, if Thornstar hasn't already killed them already," the dark-furred she-cat mewed. "It's hopeless!"

"Who cares? He keeps us safe, and that's what matters, right?" Heathercloud mewed, yawning. "You really do need to calm down about these ravings of yours, Shellstream," the pale brown tabby looked to the sky, and back to the black she-cat. "We've been out by the river for hours, we should really be heading back to camp now."

Shellstream snorted, ignoring Heathercloud's words. "I can't believe you're just accepting all of this! You're weak-minded, you know that?" Shellstream pushed past her friend, beginning to pad past her. "You're a bigger disappointment than your_ mother,_"

"Hmph," Heathercloud puffed, narrowing her eyes. "I heard your mother took a mate that was ages older than her," the tabby mewed, smirking. "probably because nobody her own age would ever deal with her, and your father was so old and desperate for someone. What were their names, again? Quillflight? Stonestorm?

Shellstream couldn't contain her anger, leaping at the vain she-cat. Thrashing her paws at her in her fueled rage. As Shellstream prepared to swing again, the wind was knocked out of her, and before she knew it Heathercloud now was above her and had the upper hand. Shellstream hissed, using her strength to push forward, only resulting in the two she-cats rolling face first into the swirling river.

Shellstream struggled to stay above the waves that seemed to move her in every direction possible, but the dark she-cat was known for being resilient and a strong swimmer, hence her name.

After a few minutes, Shellstream finally gained the upperhand of the river, slowly but surely moving her paws to take her towards the shore. Once she finally reached her destination, she leapt upon to the sloping ground, limbs spread apart. She took this time to take a meager rest, taking deep breaths in and out. Knowing that she couldn't lay forever, the she-cat rose to her paws, shivering. She looked around and noted that she was towards the end of the territory, and that perhaps the river had carried her farther than she had anticipated.

She looked around once more, this time more urgent. Strange scents flooded her nostrils, and the dark forest that was was a few fox-lengths parallel to the river was beginning to give way into the more mountainous area the lay ahead.

The black she-cat continued to look around, growing more anxious. Though the thought scared her, there appeared to be no other choice. "Heathercloud!" she called, running alongside the bank of the river, moving closer and closer to the outskirts of the territory.

Shellstream could see the Black Peak Mountain Range growing closer, and she knew it wouldn't be long before she would be heading into rogue territory. "Oh, StarClan!" the black she-cat cursed. "I killed her, didn't I?"

Just as the wily she-cat was about to lose hope, the scent of an approaching cat caused her to turn. She couldn't make out who it was, their scent covered by the fishy smell of the river.

"Heathercloud, is that you?"

"Shellstream!" the voice called back, slightly muffled, though Shellstream figured that was just her friend being tired.

"I'm so sorry! I should have never attacked you! We were both being really petty back there and—" Shellstream was cut off by a whack from behind, and she was suddenly pinned.

"I've got another one, Conall!" she heard the voice above her call out, before turning his attention back to her. "Another Clanner she-cat!" Shellstream desperately struggled to break free, but it was hopeless. The tom above her was stronger. "This one seems feisty too!" he added, cheekily laughing afterwards.

"Shellstream! Help!" she heard Heathercloud's voice again, this time more clearly. "They're getting my pelt all dirty! They're going to kill me! I'm too young to die like this!"

"Oh, shut up," the tom that held Heathercloud in his grip grunted, throwing her down beside Shellstream. "We don't want to kill you two pretty she-cats, _but_ you both could be of use to us," the tom—Conall she guessed—added.

"Please, this is all her fault!" Heathercloud mewed desperately pointing her paw at the pinned down she-cat. "If you want something from one of us, you have her!"

Conall chuckled, moving close to the pale brown tabby. "Don't worry, sweetie. I won't hurt you, and I'll make sure none of my pals do either. Isn't that right, Seisal?" the dusky brown tom asked his companion.

"It's true, Conall never goes back on his word," the cat that had her pinned down promised, flashing a grin at Heathercloud. The pale brown tabby blinked at both of them in delight, purring.

_Is she a complete idiot? They're not even holding her down! She should be trying to get us out of here instead of whining and flirting like a hopeless excuse for a she-cat! _Shellstream tried her best to keep calm, though it looked as if their situation was getting worse with each passing moment.

"Do you _really_ promise?" Heathercloud mewed, moving closer to Conall. The cocky tom's face was twisted into a smile, and he in turn motioned his head to the she-cat he was just keeping captive a few moments ago. "Of course," he responded, waiting for Heathercloud's reply with hungry eyes.

Heathercloud giggled, before suddenly slashing her paw at Conall, who barely dodged the she-cat's blow by leaping backwards, straight into the river.

The weight from the tom was suddenly gone from her body as she watched Seisal leap for Heathercloud, who's claws were unsheathed. Shellstream aimed for the tom from behind, sinking her claws into the brown-and-white tom.

Seisal screeched in a mixture of pain and rage, swiping his claws against Shellstream's cheek. "You both think you're so smart, huh? Well you'll pay for—" as the rogue continued to threaten the duo, Heathercloud leapt for the tom from the side, sending him straight into the river with Conall.

"That's what you get for making my pelt dirty!" Heathercloud spat at them, lashing her tail. "Honestly! Did they think that a beautiful she-cat like myself would ever go for one of those scoundrels?"

"Shut up and run!" Shellstream mewed, nudging Heathercloud along. She could see that the two toms were heading back to shore, and it wouldn't be long before they would try and capture the two Clanners once again.

Shellstream raced alongside the bank of the river with Heathercloud, before taking a sharp turn towards the Mountain Range. "We can't go there!" Heathercloud exclaimed from beside her. "That's not in our territory! We could get lost!"

"What's better? Being lost or being with those creeps?" Shellstream snapped, increasing her speed as much as she could, hoping to erase any chance of the two toms catching up to them.

Shellstream only stopped when she tripped on a rather large rock that she hadn't noticed, fumbling down onto her side.

"Are you okay, Shellstream?" Heathercloud mewed, racing over. "We've got to keep moving!"

"I know," Shellstream replied, pain echoing in her voice. Her front paw was throbbing in pain, but she knew that she couldn't hold them back. The she-cat rose to her paws, only to cry loudly in pain once she pressed her paw onto the ground.

"Shellstream! C'mon! Aren't you tougher than this?" Heathercloud mewed, looking around fearfully. "How do you even trip on a such a big rock? It's almost the size of your big head!"

Shellstream spat at the she-cat, lashing her tail. "Shut-up you prissy freak! _I_ was too busy trying to lead us away from the cats that were probably planning on killing the both of us!"

"The cats that _I_ saved us from!" Heathercloud retorted, furious.

The two she-cats continued to bicker, only halting once the heard approaching footsteps. The two glanced around warily, and Heathercloud crouched down beside Shellstream, shaking.

"We should never have stayed out late, if this happened in our territory Thornstar would have protected us!" Heathercloud whispered glancing around pitifully. "Lionstorm and Fishleap would be here to protect me too!"

"Well, they aren't here!" Shellstream snapped at her friend, resting her tail on the tabby's shivering shoulder. "Just keep quiet, maybe if we do they'll overlook us and we can get out of here!"

Heathercloud gave a weak nod, pressing even closer towards her black-furred friend.

The pair could hear footsteps around them, and the scent of rogue in the air was thick. Suddenly, from a ledge that was located from above where the two she-cats were crouching, Conall appeared, grinning stupidly as usual.

"Heh, thought I'd let a pretty she-cat like you get away?" the tom mewed, leaping down to face them. Shellstream arched her back, protectively guarding Heathercloud and sending the rogue a warning growl.

Seisal appeared beside him, looking much more angrier than his grinning friend. "You two will pay for trying to escape," the brown-and-white tom mewed. "There's no way you both are escaping now!"

Shellstream snorted, "And you're planning on taking us?" she scoffed. "You and what army?"

"Army? Please," Conall laughed, flicking his tail in amusement. "The term that we prefer to use is _gang_," as Conall spoke, more figures began to appear around the two crouching she-cats. Cats of all shapes and sizes, surrounding them in a circle as if they were a dog pack.

Shellstream and Heathercloud looked around in desperation, trying to look for a way to escape but it was useless. The two bickering friends were now corned like rats, and only had time to cry out before Conall spoke, "Get them!"


End file.
